May 2022. Felt Tip pen on watercolor paper.
Made on the first day of our trip to New York City this summer. I was reluctant to go out and draw — I was still exhausted from the stress of travel the day before. But when I sat down on one of the park benches in Union Square and saw the towering tree in front of me, I was struck with inspiration. The composition of a tall, blank, central subject with minuscule details like intricate building facades, cobbled stone sidewalks, and people going about their daily lives was intriguing to me. I wanted the tree to be the main focus of this piece, without sacrificing surrounding detail. The deliberate lack of markings on the tree trunk and bushy leaves above it contrasts with the dense hatching and thicker line weight I used behind it, bringing the brighter subject forward, and sending the darker, more obscure ones back.